U.S. patent application number 14/775202 was filed with the patent office on 2016-02-04 for rotary table machine for container treatment with rotary transducer.
This patent application is currently assigned to Krones AG. The applicant listed for this patent is KRONES AG. Invention is credited to Georg Gertlowski, Uwe Hasler, Helmut Schneider, Jorg Triebel.
Application Number | 20160031581 14/775202 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50002734 |
Filed Date | 2016-02-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160031581 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gertlowski; Georg ; et
al. |
February 4, 2016 |
ROTARY TABLE MACHINE FOR CONTAINER TREATMENT WITH ROTARY
TRANSDUCER
Abstract
Disclosed is a rotary table machine for container treatment,
comprising a carousel with container receptacles for conveying
containers, wherein the container receptacles are arranged at a
regular spacing along a circular path about an axis of rotation of
the carousel by means of a machine pitch, characterized in that the
carousel and a rotary transducer are connected via a transmission
such that, when the carousel rotates about a machine pitch, the
rotary transducer emits and/or processes a whole-number multiple of
a periodic value increment as a position signal, a signal
transmitter is designed to detect a reference mark on the carousel
and for emitting a reference mark signal on the basis thereof, and
a signal processing device is designed to process the position
signal and the reference mark signal in order to regulate the
position of the carousel and to control the container
receptacles.
Inventors: |
Gertlowski; Georg;
(Schierling, DE) ; Hasler; Uwe; (Regensbury,
DE) ; Schneider; Helmut; (Regensburg, DE) ;
Triebel; Jorg; (Alteglofsheim, DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
KRONES AG |
Neutraubling |
|
DE |
|
|
Assignee: |
Krones AG
Neutraubling
DE
|
Family ID: |
50002734 |
Appl. No.: |
14/775202 |
Filed: |
January 24, 2014 |
PCT Filed: |
January 24, 2014 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2014/051364 |
371 Date: |
September 11, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
198/793 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01D 5/04 20130101; G01D
5/244 20130101; B65C 9/06 20130101; B65C 9/40 20130101; B65C 9/04
20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65C 9/04 20060101
B65C009/04; B65C 9/06 20060101 B65C009/06; B65C 9/40 20060101
B65C009/40 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 27, 2013 |
DE |
10 2013 205 398.3 |
Claims
1. A rotary table machine for container treatment, comprising a
carousel with container receptacles for conveying containers,
wherein the container receptacles are arranged at a regular spacing
along a circular path about an axis of rotation of the carousel by
means of a machine pitch, the carousel and a rotary transducer
being connected via a transmission such that, when the carousel
rotates about a machine pitch, the rotary transducer at least one
of emits or processes a whole-number multiple of a periodic value
increment as a position signal, a signal transmitter operable to
detect a reference mark on the carousel and to emit a reference
mark signal on the basis thereof, and a signal processing device
operable to process the position signal and the reference mark
signal in order to regulate the position of the carousel and
control the container receptacles.
2. The rotary table machine according to claim 1, wherein the
signal processing device is operable to process the position signal
in order to control a unit for container treatment.
3. The rotary table machine according to claim 1, wherein a zero
point of the position signal is freely selectable.
4. The rotary table machine according to claim 1, wherein the
transmission has such a reduction ratio that, when the carousel
rotates about a machine pitch, a shaft of the rotary transducer
rotates about one of a group comprising one, two, four revolutions,
about half a revolution, and a quarter revolution.
5. The rotary table machine according to at claim 1, wherein the
transmission comprises a sprocket belt with rounded teeth.
6. The rotary table machine according to claim 1, wherein the
transmission comprises a motor control gear which is coupled, at a
driving end, with a motor for introducing a driving force, and
which is arranged, at a driven end, between the rotary transducer
and the carousel.
7. The rotary table machine according to claim 5, wherein the
sprocket belt is arranged between the motor control gear and the
rotary transducer .
8. The rotary table machine according to claim 1, wherein the
rotary transducer is designed to at least one of emit or process a
coarse signal whose period corresponds to a whole-number multiple
of the periodic value increments.
9. The rotary table machine according to claim 8, wherein a period
of the coarse signal corresponds to one machine pitch.
10. The rotary table machine according to claim 8, wherein a zero
point of the coarse signal is freely selectable.
11. The rotary table machine according to claim 8, wherein the
signal processing device is operable to define a time slot around
the reference mark detected by the signal transmitter and to
identify, within the time slot, a signal edge of the coarse signal
as zero position of the carousel.
12. The rotary table machine according to claim 1, wherein a safety
rotary transducer is operable to detect a safe speed of the
carousel.
13. A method for a rotary table machine for container treatment,
wherein containers are transported in container receptacles which
are arranged at a regular spacing along a circular path about an
axis of rotation of the carousel by means of a machine pitch, and a
rotary transducer for determining the position of the carousel
processes and/or emits a position signal with periodic value
increments, a transmission translates the machine pitch of the
carousel into a whole-number multiple of the periodic value
increments of the rotary transducer, a signal transmitter detects a
reference mark at the carousel and emits a reference mark signal on
the basis thereof, and a signal processing device processes the
position signal and the reference mark signal to regulate the
position of the carousel and control the container receptacles.
14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the rotary transducer
emitting a coarse signal whose signal edges correspond to reference
positions of the container receptacles.
15. A method according to claim 14, within a time slot around the
reference mark detected by the signal transmitter, identifying a
signal edge of the coarse signal as a zero position of the
carousel.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application is the US national phase of
International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2014/051364, filed Jan.
24, 2014, which application claims priority to German Application
No. 102013205398.3, filed Mar. 27, 2013. The priority application,
DE 02013205398.3, is hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0002] The invention relates to a rotary table machine for
container treatment, and a method for a rotary table machine.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Rotary table machines for container treatment are usually
designed as stretch-blow molding machine, rinser, filler, closer,
inspection machine, labeling machine and/or printing machine for
containers. The containers, for example bottles or cans, are
received in a carousel in container receptacles and transported by
them. To achieve high precision in the treatment, the position of
the container receptacles must be determined with high precision
during the rotation of the carousel.
[0004] The container receptacles are arranged at a regular spacing
on the carousel along a circular path about the axis of rotation by
means of a machine pitch. For example in a labeling machine, about
70 container receptacles are arranged at the carousel in which the
containers are received and which are, in addition to the rotation
of the carousel, pivoting about their own axis by means of a
servomotor. Thereby, each container may be pivoted relative to a
labeling unit such that the label may be applied to the complete
container circumference. For a precise positioning of the label,
the position of the carousel and thus that of the container
receptacles relative to the labeling unit must be exactly
known.
[0005] DE 69411 178 T2 discloses a carousel with container
receptacles and a shaft, wherein a motor with a driving gearwheel
engages a central gearwheel at the shaft. Moreover, the rotary
transducer is additionally driven via the central gearwheel by
which then the position of the carousel may be determined.
[0006] DE 10 2004 055 745 A1 also discloses a rotary table machine
with a carousel and a shaft, the rotary transducer being here
centrally arranged at the shaft.
[0007] In such rotary table machines it showed that the container
treatment, such as for example the labeling, is insufficiently
precise.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0008] It is the object of the invention to provide a rotary table
machine that permits a more precise container treatment.
[0009] The invention solves this object in a rotary table machine
for container treatment with the features of the characterizing
part according to which the carousel and a rotary transducer are
connected via a transmission such that, when the carousel rotates
about a machine pitch, the rotary transducer emits and/or processes
a whole-number multiple of a periodic value increment as a position
signal, a signal transmitter is designed to detect a reference mark
on the carousel and to emit a reference mark signal on the basis
thereof, and a signal processing device is designed to process the
position signal and the reference mark signal in order to regulate
the position of the carousel and to control the container
receptacles.
[0010] By the carousel and the rotary transducer being connected
via a transmission such that, when the carousel rotates about a
machine pitch, the rotary transducer emits and/or processes a
whole-number multiple of a periodic value increment as a position
signal, when the carousel rotates about the machine pitch, a
sequence with a whole-number multiple of the periodic value
increment is emitted as the position signal. For example, these may
be 5000 periods of the value increment. When the carousel rotates
further about the machine pitch, the same sequence of periodic
value increments is emitted. In an arrangement of, for example, 60
container receptacles along the circular path, one machine pitch is
exactly 6.degree.. Within this machine pitch, the position of the
container receptacles may then be resolved with 0.0012.degree. at
5000 value increments per machine pitch. In other words, the
transmission ratio permits a particularly high resolution of the
position of the carousel.
[0011] By the signal transmitter being designed to detect a
reference mark at the carousel and to emit a reference mark signal
on the basis thereof, the reference mark or a corresponding
reference container receptacle may be determined as the zero
position of the carousel. As a consequence, due to the regular
distance of the container receptacles, it may be determined at
which position each individual container receptacle is located at
the carousel. Thereby, for example each individual container
receptacle may be exactly correlated with a treatment station, and
the pivot of the container receptacles may be activated
corresponding to their positions.
[0012] By the signal processing device being designed to process
the position signal and the reference mark signal in order to
regulate the position of the carousel and to control the container
receptacles, both the position of the carousel and the movement of
the container receptacles are regulated or controlled based on
these signals. Thereby, variations between the carousel's rotation
and the determination of the position of the container receptacles
are avoided. Correspondingly, a high precision of container
treatment is achieved.
[0013] The rotary table machine for container treatment may be
arranged in a beverage processing plant. The rotary table machine
may be a stretch-blow, cleaning, labeling, inspection, filling or
closing machine for containers. The containers may be bottles,
cans, cups or the like. The container receptacles may be designed
to rotate about their own axis. A control cam or servomotors may be
designed to rotate the container receptacles about their own axes.
The container receptacles may comprise clamping elements to stably
receive the containers therein.
[0014] The machine pitch may be 360.degree. divided by the number
of container receptacles at the carousel. For example, the machine
pitch is 6.degree. in case of 60 container receptacles along the
circular path.
[0015] The axis of rotation of the carousel may extend
perpendicularly through the center of the carousel. The carousel
may include a shaft along the axis of rotation. The axis of
rotation of the carousel may extend vertically. The shaft of the
carousel may be mounted in frame elements by a bearing. The
carousel may be connected to a motor to drive it.
[0016] The rotary transducer may be an optical, inductive or
magnetic rotary transducer. The inductive rotary transducer may be
designed as tachogenerator or resolver. The rotary transducer may
emit, per revolution, a whole-number multiple of the periodic value
increments as a pulse train as a position signal. The position
signal may be a periodic square wave signal or sinusoidal signal.
As an alternative, the rotary transducer may be designed to process
the position signal and emit it as a position value. The emission
of the position value may be accomplished via a data bus. The
rotary transducer may be an absolute value rotary transducer (SSI
rotary transducer) or an incremental rotary transducer.
[0017] The reference mark may be arranged at an outer periphery of
the carousel. The reference mark may comprise a magnet or an
optical mark. The signal transmitter may comprise a magnetic switch
or a photocell for detecting the reference mark.
[0018] The signal processing device may comprise a micro processor,
digital inputs and/or outputs, analogue inputs and/or outputs which
are optionally designed to read the position signal and/or the
reference mark signal.
[0019] The signal processing device may be connected with the motor
for driving the carousel and/or with servomotors for pivoting the
container receptacles. The signal processing device may comprise a
regulation loop to regulate the position of the carousel based on
the position signal. The signal processing device may be designed
to control the container receptacles depending on the position
signal. The signal processing device may be designed to regulate
the servomotors of the container receptacles with a regulation loop
on the basis of pivoting angles of the container receptacles. The
container receptacles or the servomotors may comprise rotary
transducers to detect the pivoting angles.
[0020] The signal processing device may be designed to process the
position signal in order to control a unit for container treatment.
Thereby, with the position signal and the reference mark signal,
the unit may be additionally controlled and the precision of the
container treatment increased. The unit may be a filling station, a
labeling unit, an inspection unit and/or a closing head. For
example, in a labeling unit, labeling may be particularly well
synchronized with the rotation of the carousel based on the
position signal and the reference mark signal as for all drives the
same time base applies. The signal processing device and the unit
may be connected with a control line.
[0021] A zero point of the position signal may be freely
selectable. Thereby, in a commissioning or maintenance process, a
defined position of the carousel may be stored in the rotary table
machine. The zero point may be stored in the rotary transducer or
in the signal processing device. Edges of the position signal may
be selected as zero point.
[0022] The transmission may comprise a reduction ratio such that,
when the carousel rotates about a machine pitch, a shaft of the
rotary transducer rotates by one, two or four revolutions, or by
half a revolution or a quarter revolution. Thereby, it may be
particularly easily ensured that in a rotation of the carousel
about a machine pitch, the position signal passes over a
whole-number multiple of the periodic value increment.
[0023] The transmission may comprise a sprocket belt with rounded
teeth. Thereby, a particularly quiet running of the rotary
transducer is achieved since the rounded teeth can engage a
gearwheel particularly smoothly. The transmission may comprise at
least two gearwheels which are connected via the sprocket belt, the
gearwheels having the same or different diameters. The gearwheels
may have teeth corresponding to the sprocket belt. The sprocket
belt may have tooth profiles which are arranged diagonally with
respect to the running direction of the sprocket belt. Thereby, the
teeth may engage the gearwheels even more easily. The sprocket belt
may consist of a plastic material. The tension of the sprocket belt
may be applied with a tension roller.
[0024] The transmission may comprise a motor control gear which is
coupled to a motor at a driving end for introducing a driving
force, and which is arranged at a driven end between the rotary
transducer and the carousel. Thereby, the forces and torques
between the motor control gear and the carousel may be particularly
well decoupled from the rotary transducer. This ensures a
particularly quiet running of the rotary transducer. The motor
control gear may comprise two driven ends, the first driven end
being connected to the carousel via at least two gearwheels and the
second driven end being coupled to the rotary transducer via at
least two other gearwheels. The two driven ends may be the two ends
of one shaft.
[0025] The sprocket belt may be arranged between the motor control
gear and the rotary transducer. Thereby, the sprocket belt is
particularly well decoupled from the driving forces and the rotary
transducer may operate particularly precisely. The sprocket belt
may engage a gearwheel at the driven end of the motor control gear
and a further gearwheel at the rotary transducer.
[0026] The rotary transducer may be designed to emit and/or process
a coarse signal whose period corresponds to a whole-number multiple
of the periodic value increments. Thereby, interferences in the
position signal may be particularly well detected.
[0027] A period of the coarse signal may correspond to one machine
pitch. Thereby, only on the basis of the position signal and the
coarse signal, an absolute position value may be determined within
the machine pitch. The rising or falling signal edges of the coarse
signal may correspond to reference positions of the container
receptacles.
[0028] A zero point of the coarse signal may be freely selectable.
Thereby, the coarse signal may be particularly easily calibrated
relative to the actual positions of the container receptacles in
the rotary table machine. The zero point of the coarse signal may
be stored in the rotary transducer or in the signal processing
device.
[0029] The signal processing device may be designed to define a
time slot around the reference mark detected by the signal
transmitter and identify a signal edge of the coarse signal within
the time slot as a zero position of the carousel. Thereby, the
absolute position of the carousel may be particularly precisely
detected since the signal edge of the coarse signal serves as the
zero position which is more precise than the reference mark
detected by the signal transmitter. For the zero position, the
carousel may be rotatable to a predetermined reference position.
Thereby, the carousel may be particularly easily calibrated in the
rotary table machine during installation and/or service works.
[0030] A safety rotary transducer may be designed to detect a safe
speed of the carousel, the safety rotary transducer being
optionally integrated with the rotary transducer. Safety rotary
transducer can mean that the rotary transducer is a SIL rotary
transducer according to the EN 61508 standard. Thereby, the speed
of the carousel may be monitored independent of the correct
function of the rotary transducer, and in case of a deviation from
an expected speed, the rotary table machine may be stopped and/or
an alarm may be triggered. Thereby, the rotary table machine may be
particularly well protected. The fact that the safety rotary
transducer is integrated with the rotary transducer can mean that
the safety rotary transducer is embodied as an additional
independent evaluation unit of the rotary transducer. As an
alternative, this can mean that the safety rotary transducer and
the rotary transducer are connected by a common shaft. The rotary
transducer may comprise an electrical connection for emitting the
position signal and/or the coarse signal, and the safety rotary
transducer may comprise a separate electrical connection for
emitting a speed signal.
[0031] Moreover, the invention provides a method for a rotary table
machine for container treatment, wherein containers are transported
in container receptacles which are arranged at a regular spacing
along a circular path about an axis of rotation of the carousel by
means of a machine pitch, and a rotary transducer emits and/or
processes a position signal with periodic value increments for
determining the position of the carousel, characterized in that a
transmission transmits the machine pitch of the carousel to a
whole-number multiple of the periodic value increments of the
rotary transducer, a signal transmitter detects a reference mark at
the carousel and emits a reference mark on the basis thereof, and a
signal processing device processes the position signal and the
reference mark signal in order to regulate the position of the
carousel and to control the container receptacles.
[0032] By both the position of the carousel and the container
receptacles being regulated or controlled on the basis of the
position signal and the reference mark signal, the rotation of the
carousel and the movement of the container receptacles are
synchronized based on the position signal and the reference mark
signal. Moreover, by the transmission ratio, a particularly high
resolution of the machine pitch is ensured by the periodic value
increments of the rotary transducer. Thereby, the position signal
is a signal with particularly high resolution. Moreover, with the
aid of the reference mark at the carousel, the signal transmitter
may detect an absolute position of the carousel, and the absolute
position of each container receptacle may be determined.
Correspondingly, the movement of each container receptacle may be
controlled depending on its current position along the circular
path.
[0033] The above described embodiments or parts thereof, may be
combined with the following embodiments.
[0034] The rotary transducer may emit a coarse signal whose signal
edges correspond to reference positions of the container
receptacles. Thereby, the position of the container receptacles may
be particularly precisely determined at the reference
positions.
[0035] Within a time slot around the reference mark detected by the
signal transmitter, a signal edge of the coarse signal may be
identified as zero position of the carousel. Thereby, a
particularly precise zero position of the carousel may be
determined.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0036] Features and advantages of the invention will be illustrated
below with reference to the embodiments represented in the figures.
In the figures:
[0037] FIG. 1 shows a lateral representation of a rotary table
machine;
[0038] FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan view of the rotary table
machine of FIG. 1;
[0039] FIG. 3 shows a schematic signal representation of the
position signal, the reference mark signal, and the coarse signal
within a machine pitch; and
[0040] FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of a sprocket belt for the
rotary table machine of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0041] FIG. 1 shows a rotary table machine 1 in a lateral
representation. One can see a carousel 2 that is designed with
rotary tables and at the circumference of which the container
receptacles 14 are arranged. The container receptacles are moved by
the servomotors 15. The carousel 2 comprises a shaft 19 which is
rotatably mounted at both ends with the bearings 16 at the upper
and lower frame elements 17 and 18, respectively. With each
container receptacle 14, one container 3 each may be stably
received and pivoted by the servomotors 15. The containers 3 are
secured against shifting at the upper end via the fixing elements
20. The fixing elements 20 are movably mounted in the head plate 21
and connected to the shaft 19. When the carousel 2 is rotating,
each fixing element 20 corresponds to the corresponding container
receptacle 14.
[0042] The motor 13 is provided as the drive of the carousel 2.
Here, the motor control gear 10b reduces the speed of the motor 13
to a lower speed on the driven end of the motor control gear 10b.
The driven end of the motor control gear 10b is connected to the
shaft 19 of the carousel 2 via the first partial transmission 10a.
The first partial transmission 10a further reduces the speed of the
driven end of the motor control gear 10b. The first partial
transmission 10a comprises a first gearwheel at the driven end of
the motor control gear 10b, a gearwheel which is larger compared to
this at the shaft 19 of the carousel 2, and a sprocket belt which
connects both gearwheels. As an alternative, the two gearwheels may
also engage directly.
[0043] One can moreover see that the containers 3 are provided with
labels 3a by the labeling unit 23. For a high precision in
labeling, a precise positioning of the containers 3 relative to the
labeling unit 23 is required. This will be described below:
[0044] For a precise determination of the position, the carousel 2
and the rotary transducer 4 are connected by the transmission 10.
The transmission 10 comprises the above described first partial
transmission 10a, the motor control gear 10b and the second partial
transmission 10c connected at the second driven end. The second
partial transmission 10c comprises a first gearwheel which is
connected to the second driven end of the motor control gear 10b, a
second gearwheel which is connected to the shaft 4a of the rotary
transducer 4, and a sprocket belt 10d which connects both of them.
The second partial transmission 10c may be embodied with or without
transmission ratio. The first partial transmission 10a, the motor
control gear 10b, and the second partial transmission 10c together
have one transmission ratio, so that one machine pitch of the
carousel 2 corresponds to a complete rotation of the shaft 4a at
the rotary transducer 4. The rotary transducer 4 is here embodied
as optical rotary transducer which emits, per revolution of the
shaft 4a, exactly 5000 periods of a periodic value increment as
position signal. Consequently, one rotation of the carousel 2 about
one machine pitch exactly corresponds to 5000 periodic value
increments of the rotary transducer 4. Thereby, a particularly high
resolution of the movement of the carousel 2 is possible. The
rotary transducer 4 emits the position signal to the signal
processing device 11 at the electric line 12a as a square wave
signal. As an alternative, it may also be a sinusoidal signal.
[0045] Moreover, the rotary transducer 4 is designed to emit a
coarse signal, wherein one period of the coarse signal corresponds
to a complete revolution of the axis of rotation 4a of the rotary
transducer. The coarse signal is also a square wave signal which is
here emitted at the electric line 12b. One first half period
exactly corresponds to one half revolution of the rotary transducer
4 or 2500 value increments, respectively. The second half period of
the coarse signal corresponds to the second half rotation of the
rotary transducer 4 or to further 2500 value increments of the
position signal, respectively.
[0046] The line 12c is moreover shown for the power supply of the
rotary transducer 4.
[0047] A safety rotary transducer 4 is shown to be integrated with
the rotary transducer 4. It detects a safe speed of the carousel 2
and emits it at a separate line 12d. By this, the rotation of the
carousel 2 may be monitored. This is done here by the monitoring
device 11, which compares the safe speed with an expected speed. In
case of a difference, the rotary table machine 1 will be stopped
and an alarm will be triggered.
[0048] Moreover, the signal transmitter 9b is shown which detects
the reference mark 9a at the carousel 2. The reference mark 9a is
here embodied as a magnet which is detected with a magnetic switch
in the signal transmitter 9b. As soon as the reference mark 9a is
opposite the signal transmitter 9b, the latter emits a voltage
pulse as signal via the line 12g.
[0049] The above described signals are detected by the signal
processing device 11. The latter is embodied with a micro processor
and digital inputs for detecting the signals at lines 12a, 12b, and
12g. In the process, the signals are processed with the signal
processing device 11, as will be described below with reference to
FIG. 3, in order to calculate an absolute position of the carousel
2 with high resolution. With this absolute position of the carousel
2, the motor 13 for driving the carousel 2, the servomotors 15 for
moving the container receptacles 14, and the labeling unit 23 are
then regulated or controlled, respectively. Since these three units
are controlled or regulated on the basis of a common time base, i.
e. the absolute position of the carousel 2, a particularly precise
labeling of the containers 3 with the labels 3a is possible.
[0050] The activation of the motor 13 is done via the lines 12e
with a pulse-width control. The labeling unit 23 comprises a
separate control device which is exactly triggered in terms of time
via the line 12h. Moreover, the servomotors 15 are connected to the
signal processing device 11 via the rotary distributor 22 and the
line 12f. Here, the signal processing device 11 comprises a
regulation loop for each servomotor 15 which in turn comprise
separate rotary transducers (not represented here) for the exact
regulation of the pivot of the container receptacles 14.
[0051] In FIG. 2, one can see the rotary table machine 1 of FIG. 1
in a plan view. One can see here the carousel 2 which comprises six
container receptacles 14a-14f. These are arranged at regular
distances along the circular path K, and consequently, one machine
pitch M exactly corresponds to 60.degree.. One can also see the
zero position R of the carousel 2, where here the reference mark 9a
is exactly opposite the signal transmitter 9b. For this zero
position R, the container receptacles 14a-14f are at the positions
0.degree., 60.degree., 120.degree., 180.degree., 240.degree. and
360. The rotational positions of each container receptacle 14a-14f
with respect to the position of the carousel 2 may be stored as
curves in the signal processing device 11, where with each curve,
the rotational position of a certain container receptacle 14a-14f
is correlated with the position of the carousel 2.
[0052] One can moreover see that the shaft 19 of the carousel 2 is
connected to the rotary transducer 4 via the transmission 10 (only
schematically shown here).
[0053] FIG. 3 shows, in a schematic representation, the position
signal 5, the reference mark signal 7, and the coarse signal 6 as
time characteristic over time t within a machine pitch M.
[0054] One can see that the coarse signal 6 is a square wave signal
which exactly passes through one period within one machine pitch M
as of the reference point in time T.sub.R. Moreover, the reference
point in time T.sub.R corresponds to the zero position R of the
carousel 2 shown in FIG. 2. The zero point of the coarse signal 6
is the positive signal edge 6a and is selected such that it
corresponds to the zero position of the carousel 2 (see FIG.
2).
[0055] The position signal 5 is here also a square wave signal, but
it can alternatively also be a sinusoidal signal. Here, the
position signal 5 passes exactly through 5000 periods during one
machine pitch M. These may also be, corresponding to the design of
the rotary table machine, 2000, 1000, 500, 100 or 10 periods. The
number of periods of the position signal 5 is here only shown
schematically to better show the correlation of the individual
signals. One can see that the position signal 5 comprises the
periodic value increments 5b which exactly pass through one period
during the period At. One can also see that the zero point of the
position signal 5 is the signal edge 5a and selected such that it
corresponds to the zero position R of the carousel 2 (see FIG. 2).
Correspondingly, the positive signal edge 5a of the position signal
5 is exactly at the reference point in time T.sub.R. One can also
see that one period of the coarse signal 6 corresponds to one
whole-number multiple of the periodic value increments 5b of the
position signal 5.
[0056] Moreover, the reference mark signal 7 is shown which is
emitted by the signal transmitter 9b when at the zero position R,
the reference mark 9a is opposite the signal transmitter 9b. Here,
the signal transmitter 9b is particularly simply designed with a
magnetic switch, wherein by production tolerances, the signal pulse
7a of the reference mark signal 7 comes within the slot F. If now
the reference mark signal 7 would be taken directly for an absolute
position signal of the carousel 2, the actual position of the
carousel 2 within the slot f would be known relatively inexactly.
Correspondingly, the rising signal edge 6a of the coarse signal 6
is identified as zero position R of the carousel 2 within the slot
F with the signal processing device. Subsequently, the absolute
position signal for the carousel 2 is formed of the coarse signal 6
and the position signal 5, for example by integration of the value
increments 5b as of the reference point in time T.sub.R. Hereby, on
the one hand the passage of the container receptacle 14a is
detected, and simultaneously a particularly exact absolute position
of the carousel 2 is determined.
[0057] By the particularly exact position signal 5 detected with
high-resolution, and by the absolute position of the carousel 2
determined in connection with the coarse signal 6 and the reference
mark signal 7, the rotation of the carousel 2, the pivot of the
container receptacles 14, and the labeling unit 23 may be regulated
or controlled particularly exactly and with a particularly high
resolution since it is done based on a common time base.
[0058] In FIG. 4, the sprocket belt 10d of the rotary table machine
1 of FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown in a sectional view. One can see that
the sprocket belt 10d has rounded teeth 10e.
[0059] Each tooth 10e has rounded radii R1, R2 by which the
sprocket belt 10d more easily engages the corresponding gearwheels
of the partial transmission 10c (not represented here). The radii
R1, R2 are smaller than half the width B of each tooth. Optionally,
the radii R1, R2, are smaller than one quarter of the width of the
tooth 10e. Moreover, one can see that the lateral edges 10f of the
teeth 10e include an inclination 10f which is inclined with the
angle S with respect to the running direction (indicated by the
arrow). The angle S is here within a range of 60 degrees to 90
degrees, optionally within a range of 70 degrees-80 degrees.
Thereby, the teeth 10e may engage the corresponding gearwheels of
the partial transmission 10c even more easily.
[0060] With the rotary table machine 1 shown in FIGS. 1-4, the
methods corresponding to claims 13-15 may be carried out.
[0061] It will be understood that features mentioned in the above
described embodiments are not restricted to these special
combinations and are also possible in any other combinations.
* * * * *